Reviews (page 5 of 8)
for 10 year olds this is probably awesome
The emperor has no clothes, of course. Behind all the posing, make-up and pyrotechnics lies a set of plain, commercial, rather bad tunes. Rock with a metal sauce or (not on this album) pure disco. Whatever - as long as it sells. But is that important? They might have taken themselves seriously (hard to tell) but we don't have to. I'm sure their gigs must have been a lot of fun. Spinal Tap much more so though :-). Can't rate it highly because in the end, this list is about music, but maybe it deserves to be in the book just for its "legacy". Some songs are not as bad as I thought, so a one it is not.
Awesome Rock album!!!
Not my favforite. I had heard Beth before and had no idea that was Kiss. Overall ok but not my speed.
The only songs on here that aren't terrible are the 3 songs that show up on a Kiss Greatest Hits: Detroit Rock City, Shout It Out Loud, and Beth. Detroit Rock City has a "night drive" vibe (even if you ignore the car noises). Despite being overplayed, it's actually a pretty cool song. Shout It Out Loud is better than average, as is Beth, though night is great. 2 stars.
It took me a minute to appreciate it, but the melodies were really infectious.
Э. Лучшая песня - Beth.
Decent hard rock but nothing stood out to me.
Less tacky than watching them perform. Not bad but not great. Not a fan of Beth but Detroit Rock City and Shout it out Loud are really good. Very high 3.
Was it high art? No, but it rocked. The clear bangers were "Detroit Rock City" and "Shout It Out Loud". Most of the rest felt like filler although I know that Beth was a huge it for some reason.
So, KISS sounded super hardcore when I was younger but it just seems a bit soofter than what I remember now, but I would like to say that the two songs that I knew from this album were pretty nice - Detroit Rock City and Shout It Out Loud.
My goodness that was dumb.
mediocre 2.5
i fucking hate KISS. everything about them is infuriating to me. that's all i have to say about that.
power rangers
This is my teenage soundtrack. I like the live albums better, but this is probably their best studio effort. I didn't know at the time Bob Ezrin produced it and co-wrote the songs - but you can tell. His contribution improved the quality of this record.
Классика глэма, завёл мотоцикл и в путь трясти волосами
I think "Beth" is genuinely a great song that still holds up today for almost any listening fan. Many of the other songs are also great classic rock songs, and I understand how KISS would have inspired and led to many hard rock and metal bands today. Therefore, while I find it hard to give this 5 stars, as I can't imagine myself listening to it again, I can't deny the power and influence that was KISS, and this album doesn't really have a "bad" song.
4-
They look great but the music is quite mediocre. Very meh hardrock. Lyric wise also doesn’t move me whatsoever.
Listenable
Not a big follower of Metal. Not a follower of Kiss. A 2.5 for me but didn’t like it enough to give it a 3.
Nog meer dad rock. Gelukkig wel iets meer karakter dan die inwisselbare meuk van Bad Company. Misschien wel de domste songteksten die ik ooit heb gehoord. Alleen "Detroit Rock City" is wel de moeite waard.
Repeat listen
Better than I expected.
The fact that anyone gives serious consideration to this band is a black mark on our society.
no memorable songs
I like campy fun glam rock but this ain’t it
hard rock, 1976 -> 2-3
Giving this a 3 for pure nostalgia points and a few big hits. But the songs in between the hits are hard to stomach.
A finely polished turd. This is a fine example of just how shit people’s tastes can be. Total dreck and the musical equivalent of a straight to video movie I wish I could give this zero stars
only track i likes was detroit rock city. just really not for me. surprised this came out in the 70s because it sounds so 80s and KISS definitely pioneered that genre.
not a fan of kiss at all so not going to listen lol
Not a bad album! I'd want to re-listen to it for sure.
Kiss isn't music....
How can I kind of like this and kind of hate it at the same time? It’s dumb fun but some of the lyrics are shockingly bad. By all accounts they put on a great show though. If Kiss The Musical isn’t a thing it should be. Want to give it 3.5
Not my cuppa. Appreciate the self irony though
Not anything groundbreaking, but really good for training
I liked this album more than I thought it would, but it's still crap. it's even more crap when you consider what else was coming out at this time. '70s Rock was iconic, bombastic, full of insane talent. Go listen to Led Zeppelin, or Deep Purple, or Queen and leave this gimmick hand for the losers
Pretty much exactly what you would expect from a kiss album. Fun, over the top but nothing amazing. Standout songs God of Thunder
3/10 First time actually listening to Kiss and now I understand the need for the flamboyant aesthetic - their music is incredibly uninspired and uninteresting. Maybe my opinion of this would improve on subsequent listens but not going to invest any more time in it. Listens: 1
Some fun songs
Ok
Listened Before? N This album is dripping with 70s sauce. I like the music for the most part - but you can feel the arrogance of a band at the top of their popularity. They almost seem like even THEY can't believe how popular they are. Overall, a good effort from the boys in KISS, but maybe not much of a "classic" outside their fanbase. I was glad to finally listen to this one though. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: God of Thunder
I like it and the most classic Kiss album, but more of a producer Album than the band.
Somehow too safe for glam rock. A few good tunes but otherwise forgettable.
too much bob ezrin. kiss is best when they keep it simple, because they are nothing if not stupid
Great music at times, but doesn’t belong on this list.
Saw the album, smiled and immediately though of Nate and Gabe. My cousins could sing most of this album before they hit double digits in age. To this day, my favorite song is Do You Love Me and I can still picture them putting on a concert for the family. Because of their love for KISS, their joy of singing/playing anything KISS and the joy they brought to the family, is the primary reason I can call myself a KISS fan. This album may not be the best, but it definitely holds a special spot in my heart. Will always hold a place in my heart and I will always think of Nate and Gabe. Detroit Rock City, God of Thunder and Shout It Out Loud are good tunes. Do You Love Me and Beth are great songs! On a sentimental basis, this album is a 5. Musically, I just can't give it anything less than 4. Destroyer will always be my favorite KISS album. I have listened to this a number of times over last few days. After each listen, I look at my The Scuba Cult sticker across from my desk, cry and think of better days. Miss you boy. I pray you you found peace. 4
Easily the best KISS album. Metal as fuck too. 4
4.5 Public opinion has largely turned around on KISS somewhat recently, and I totally get why. As time has gone on, KISS have largely revealed themselves as being more of a corporate shill than a rock group, and combined with oversexualized lyrics and stage presence, the band hasn’t held up particularly well in the current day and age. While I’ve grown out of KISS a bit myself as I’ve gotten older, I have to admit, for all their faults, they managed to achieve party rock excellence with one album in particular - and this is that album. When it comes to musical taste, to each their own, but I genuinely have a hard time understanding how someone couldn’t have fun with this. Now, normally I’m not prone to go track-by-track with my reviews, but as someone who grew up listening to KISS (and this album), I feel like I have a bit to say on each song here: Detroit Rock City - How can you be from Michigan and not like this song? I’ve never seen KISS live (nor do I have a particularly strong desire to do so), but as someone who used to frequent shows there, I’ve seen the song covered multiple times. In some ways it almost feels like a rite of passage for a major band to perform the song in the Motor City. King of the Night Time World - Not the strongest song on the album, but a fun segue between two of the better ones. God of Thunder - My favorite KISS song when I was a kid. Actually, probably one of the first songs I can recall hearing. Period. Gene exchanging vocals with the young child on the track is such a cool, unique production choice, and I can’t say I’ve ever really heard anything like it since. Fun fact: Paul Stanley wrote and wanted to perform the song, but producer Bob Ezrin decided it was a better fit for Gene. He wasn’t wrong. Great Expectations - The worst song on the album. Also probably the grossest. Still, not bad, but it’s never really grabbed me. Flaming Youth - I think it’s pretty easy for a “parents just don’t understand” type of song to come off as cringe, especially coming from guys who were like my age here, but I think this one is pretty good. Definitely maintains the energy of the album. Sweet Pain - KISS’ most underrated song. No idea how this is like the least-played song on Spotify - the chorus is catchy as all hell. Honestly, one of the KISS songs I’m still apt to put on and listen to today. Shout It Out Loud - This whole album is a lot of fun, but this one especially has always felt like a party of a track, the kind that makes me think of good times with good people. Also, the start of a fantastic closing trio of tracks. Beth - Not my personal favorite KISS song, but indisputably their magnum opus - and to think it came from Peter Criss. It’s the type of song you think would come off sappy with everything going on around it, but it’s genuinely such a beautiful, earnest love song that it almost makes the rest of this album feel cheesy in comparison. It’s likely going to be the one song that’ll sit with you the most after walking away from this, and so it’s absolutely crazy that these guys originally hid it on a B-Side (blaming a jealous Paul and Gene for that one). Anecdotally, it’s also part of a running joke I have with some friends after I was drunk and kept trying to play it at a bachelor party. Do You Love Me - My favorite KISS song. Much more importantly, my cousin Nate’s favorite KISS song, and one of his all-time favorites in general. I wasn’t as close with him in my older years, but I think of him now whenever I hear the song. He was probably the greatest musician in the family, a bloodline I like to think is in part responsible for the music fan I am today. Miss ya, bud. Not going to comment on Rock ‘N’ Roll Party since it’s not really a song, but overall, very good album through and through. Also, not quite as sexual as I was expecting - I mean, you have Great Expectations and Sweet Pain, but honestly, I’ve heard worse from Tim Buckley. Still, not quite a 5/5 for me as KISS isn’t really a 5/5 band for me anymore, but this album will always hold a special place in my heart - even if Gene Simmons is out there pulling BS like trying to make people pay HIM to be his personal assistant.
Nei offameg. Jeg klarer ikke å like dette.
I dislike Gene Simmons so much that I can't like this album.
I like the concept of Kiss - I’m all for embracing the dumb, fun, theatrical side of rock - but I find their music oddly underpowered. Great Expectations in particular sounds like watered-down Meat Loaf. Was the image covering for a lack of chops, or did they need a Jim Steinman to push them over the top into the gloriously ridiculous?
the instrumental is actually alright it’s just ruined by the terrible lyrics
twelve o clock, i gotta rock½ vittu vois vaan kävell kadulla.. vois vaan tömistellä eteenpäin kaduil, kaduil rokkereit, rokkaajii, rokkaajat, kaduil rokkitähdet.. OLE N VITTU ROKKI T*HTI! vanhempani miettivät että huhhuh onpa paska tyhmä poika.. ja heh todellisuudesa jos oikeasti tietäisin olen aivan kaheli sekopaa... olut olut ja vielä yksi olut kurkkuun ja kurkkuun hehehhe. kaiutin päälle ja ROCK ROCK ROCK ROCK ROCK ROCK FOREEVEEEER.. WEE WILL NEVER FUCKIIING DIEEEE...tälläistä musiikkia me nykyajan nuoret emme tule koskaan ymmärttää. oon aina vittu kuunnellu musiikkii niin vitun tärkeet ollu aina mulle... tämä helventin strukturoitu ja mainstream yleisölle tarkkaan suunniteltu musiikki ON VITTU ANARKISMIN JUURET ON SAATANA VIEKÖÖN TÄÄÄLLÄÄÄÄ!!!! detroit rock city
I didn't get to this today. But I will listen during sauna. Didn't get to in sauna either. lol It's Monday now. So nowwwww I'll get to it. I remember being young and hearing that KISS stood for Knights In Satan's Service, and loving that! I've always been a satanist at heart. It's funny because their music isn't even that heavy it's just good ol rock n roll. This has been meh, 3 stars.
It was ok, but did not do much for me. Sounded unpolished.
A classic. Beth is a low key ballad that often gets overlooked.
Nah.
Oh god not this one today. I hate Kiss. They may be the actual band playing real instruments that I hate the most. They are a joke. Remember when they took off their makeup and no one wanted to listen to them anymore? That tells you all you need to know about Kiss. They are a stage show, not musicians. You could compare them to Alice Cooper in that regard I suppose but with Alice Cooper, the music was still good. As for this, sure, there are some decent guitar parts and solos but on the whole, the music is simple, the lyrics are infantile, and the production is bad. I hate it. And it's weird reading through the reviews of this record. Most are uniformly in the same boat as me. I truly don't understand the people who would call this a masterpiece. I mean that's setting a pretty low bar for what qualifies as a masterpiece. I get that some people are rating purely out of nostalgia but this is objectively bad music. 1/5
Mediocre band, master marketers!
Kiss ist mehr Schein als Sein. Ich kann den Hype über diese Gruppe nicht nach empfinden. Oft habe ich den Eindruck, dass hinter den Masken ihre Unfähigkeiten versteckt werden. Ihre Hits sind durchaus hörenswert. Keine Frage. Aber mehr steckt nicht dahinter. Mehr Schein als Sein. So dachte ich bisher. Doch dieses Album belehrt mich eines Besseren. "Great Expectations" ist ein sehr gutes Beispiel für kreatives Arrangement und gutes Songmaterial. Dass sie ein ganzes Album durchhalten auf höherem Niveau, wer hätte das gedacht?
There's a few songs that you'd hear on old dad rock radio stations, but it's all pretty bland and you can tell they were only famous because they dressed kinda crazy. I do understand now why I've never gone out of my way to listen to KISS. Does this need to be on this list though? Nah
Not the band i'd listen to, but listenable
Yes!
This was fun! Fun to learn where “Beth” comes from. It was in Role Models. That movie was obsessed with Kiss so it was cool to see why.
Didn’t expect to but ended up quite enjoying this one. 4 stars
a little self awareness goes a long way
KISS is the candy corn of classic rock. Either you hate it or you love it — there's no in-between when it comes to this overly processed shit.
Is this a joke? The whole thing? Lowest common denominator music with clown makeup. At least Beth was on this album, but when that is cornier than an Iowa deer's shit.
I want to know the real story behind beth! but ya this was fun but really few songs I would listen to again
Listen, I'm not pretentious. I've never listened to a KISS album, but I had a rough idea of what would follow. "Roooock!" I knew it was going to be bombastic, ridiculous. The Las Vegas Strip in band form. But, honestly, this wasn't as HARD as I thought it would be. Even for 1976. While we were listening, my partner mentioned there's something vaguely ABBA about them. And I realized, holy shit, she's right. This is a pop quartet through and through. Of course, they're not half as good as ABBA. There are some Big Rock Riffs(TM) here, and they scratch that particular itch well enough. But there's no meat to these songs. They're paper thin. Not just lyrically, but musically. I will shout out "Detroit Rock City". Not a GREAT song per se, but it has a good classic riff, and while the subject matter is a bit crass, you find songs like this in pop music all the time. Sometimes an edgy story really elevates a pop song. Anti-star for whatever the fuck "Great Expectations" is. Fav tracks: Detroit Rock City, King of the Night Time World, Flaming Youth
Not commenting the lyrics. The sound is quite good same as complexity of songs. It's serious music and I can partly enjoy that.
For not knowing much of kiss outside of what gets radio play, this was a great album.
Surprised by how much I enjoyed this one!
2/10
The Disney version of Satanism
ez meg azzal lepett meg, hogy kevésbé tetszik mint hittem.
Memories growing up in the late-70’s to this. Part of my soundtrack at the time.
No clue why I expected heavy metal, because this was… better than that. Good quality rock and I liked the stuff when they didn’t do rock better.
Apparently there were a lot of hits in this album, I didn’t really hear it. It was just rock, and it felt like the album didn’t really go anywhere. Wasn’t bad but it didn’t make me go crazy like them at concert.
It's embarrassing to think that someone listens to Kiss unironically in 21st century. But truth to be told, they are just a product of their era, their style doesn't fit with the music at all, but it's not the worst production ever. Just an old band that definitely doesn't get better with time.
I hate kiss.
This album is so stupid it comes back around to being funny. If the Mystery Science Theater crew listened to albums instead of watch movies, they would have done this one ages ago, and it would have been a classic.
Can't believe my divorced Dad's favorite band made it on the list.
Like the Britney Spears album, it is very emblematic of its time and not much else. I liked the album cover though. Low 3.
6/10 - There were some ok parts, but overall it was just mid.
Kiss seems like more of a gimmick than an actually good band, but this was fine. Super basic and didn’t really take risks, but had some solid songs
Prior to this album, I was under the impression that Kiss was just a flash in the pan with only a handful of good songs. I'm glad I was proven wrong. This album will rock your mask off! Favorite Track: "Detroit Rock City".
cartoon rock and roll
3 stars
A little disappointed. A few great songs but not their best work. They are much better live!
It was pretty lame. Worse than I was expecting. Had no idea I was listening to the hits of the album when they went by. KISS has never been my thing, and it's reassuring that that's still the case.
It's trash, and Great Expectations is about the slimiest song I can remember hearing. Even Spinal Tap wouldn't stoop to some of the lows on this album. Two stars as it wasn't actually painful to listen to. I've got to save one star reviews for the worst of the worst.
Fun party music everyone lighten up!
A solid, albeit not very distinctive, rock'n'roll sound. I've heard some great things about KISS's live performances and I can definitely understand how their stage presence would elevate these songs to an otherworldly level. As it stands now, the layered rock vocals do their job of creating a thick, energetic texture and complementing the guitar riffs and rhythm section nicely. The riffs themselves are very good, and they really make the choruses shine in songs like Sweet Pain, Do You Love Me, and Shout It Out Loud. Beth is a strong ballad that breaks up the high energy well enough, illustrating the huge importance of ballads in rock repertoires. There's something that doesn't quite make this "great", though. It's true – the lyrics (or at least the lyrics I comprehended, being someone who doesn't normally pay heed to them) are amateur and devoid of any engaging message. The rock sound plays it extremely safe, especially for the mid-70s when pushing the boundaries of popular music was all the rage. Even punk, a genre I usually dislike, has a leg up on KISS's music in that regard. KISS's contemporaries in the hard/classic rock era, like AC/DC, Def Leppard, Black Sabbath, etc. are also leagues ahead. It's a rough comparison with KISS on the losing end at every turn. Less bite, a less distinctive sound, slightly worse musicianship... I have high hopes for the band, though. They've got more ammo in their discography. 3/5 Key tracks: Sweet Pain, Shout It Out Loud, Do You Love Me
Probably hated it back in the day but it's actually pretty good and I almost liked it!
So boring. Kiss has to be the most overrated band ever.
Detroit rock city er fínt og Shout it out loud ágætt. Hitt er örlítið vandræðalegt en ekki leiðinlegt. Ætla gefa þessu 2,7.
no
Dumbest intro to an album of all time.
Generic dad rock music with generic lyrics. It's fine, but nothing special
Das vierte Studioalbum der US-amerikanischen Rockband Kiss, das 1976 veröffentlicht wurde. Das Album wurde im Electric Lady Studios in New York City aufgenommen und von Bob Ezrin produziert, der bereits mit Künstlern wie Alice Cooper gearbeitet hatte. Destroyer markiert einen Wendepunkt in der musikalischen Entwicklung der Band, da es mehr orchestrale Elemente und komplexe Arrangements enthält als die bisherigen, eher simplen Rockalben. Die Bandmitglieder – Paul Stanley (Gesang, Gitarre), Gene Simmons (Gesang, Bass), Ace Frehley (Gitarre) und Peter Criss (Schlagzeug) – stammen aus den USA und sind bekannt für ihre auffällige Bühnenpräsenz und Maskierung, die auch in dieser Periode der Bandgeschichte eine zentrale Rolle spielte. Einige der bekanntesten Lieder des Albums sind „Detroit Rock City“, „Beth“ und „Shout It Out Loud“. Während „Detroit Rock City“ ein klassisches Beispiel für die rockige Ausrichtung der Band bietet, hebt sich „Beth“ durch seine Balladenstruktur und die Verwendung von Klavier von anderen Tracks ab. „Shout It Out Loud“ ist ein weiterer energiegeladener Rocksong, der den typischen Stil der Band widerspiegelt. Das Genre des Albums lässt sich als Hard Rock mit Einflüssen aus Glam Rock und symphonischen Elementen beschreiben. Destroyer wurde von Fans und Kritikern gleichermaßen geschätzt, auch wenn die experimentelleren Elemente des Albums nicht jedem gefallen mögen. Fazit: Destroyer ist ein wichtiger Meilenstein in der Karriere von Kiss. Es zeigt die Band auf ihrem Höhepunkt, wobei sie ihren klassischen Rocksound mit neuen, vielfältigen Ansätzen kombiniert. Auch wenn es in Teilen nicht so roh und ungestüm klingt wie ihre früheren Werke, bleibt es ein zentrales Album der Band und ein bedeutendes Stück der Rockgeschichte.
This is a good-ish album - a couple of classic rock anthems, but most of KISS's stuff is kinda cheesy and forced (a la Great Expectations and Do You Love Me). Beth is a real underrated song though.
I was around nine years old when this record came out and I remember the insane popularity of this record. I never really warmed up to them, but one could not get away from them no matter how hard one tried.
Wedged between glam rock and hair metal was KISS. This album has a bit of everything - rock, musical theater, and a ballad. At the time, Christians were in a panic because this band was the epitome of Satanic worship - "Knigts In Satan's Service" - but they were just goofy guys making 70s rock for teens. I'll always have a soft spot for this band (my girl cousins used to have KISS posters in their room), so this was a fuzzy feeling listen for me. 4.5 stars.
This one really brings me back. Back to my younger days with me and some friends playing classic KISS tunes in the basement. I learned how to play drums rocking out to such classics from this album as "God of Thunder", "Shout It Out Loud" and many other KISS classics.
Destroyer is the fourth studio album from Kiss, and the follow up to their breakthrough live album, Alive! At first, Destroyer sold slowly, but the unexpected success of the b-side ballad "Beth" helped drive sales of the album. Destroyer was the band's first platinum album, establishing them as a fixture in the pop/glam/hard rock world. The album is uneven, at best: for the few good rock songs - like "Shout it Out Loud" - there are far too many "Great Expectations" and "Sweet Pain."
A few truly great tracks but the rest is just meh....plus these guys are definitely assholes...
Decent, might have to listen a little again. But none of the songs really struck a chord with me
2.4 - I actually forgot i listened to this
Not that bad, Detroit Rock City is a bop. Kiss have bops, I have always liked Rock N Roll All Nite since hearing it in a Tony Hawk's soundtrack. But then some of the other tracks are very campy. King of the Night Time World is a clear rip off of Charlie Kelly's The Night Man Cometh. Fave Track: Detroit Rock City 2.6/5
Goofy glam from a band who walked so Slipknot could run (sartorially at least). Inessential listening but entertaining enough for what it is, I suppose. 2.5
Better than I expected, but not something I'd listen to again. Standout Tracks: - Detroit Rock City
Like Journey with makeup. Nobody will make me believe this band is good.
Do you love me? I mean no not really. Do you love me? I said no not really. But do you love me? No. 6/10
Kiss. Perhaps the worst band? Yet hideously and undeniably popular. And hugely influential. Many many 8 -13 year olds picked up an instrument watching the theatrics. Some of them went on to become serious and important musicians themselves. Yes it’s musically inferior. Yes it’s ridiculous. But at the right age, at the right time Kiss was awesome. (Note I’ve never been a huge fan but I can’t deny that these guys probably influenced more people to play than Hendrix. Or the Beatles. I say that with much consideration. ) I will say too that Detroit rock city is an awesomely great song. I also think it notable that their label, Casablanca is hugely important for disco (which kiss embrace with I was made for loving you at a different point). Look I want to hate this - gene simmons is what the Irish call a gobshhite. Paul Stanley complained (rightly it seems) about Peter criss’s anti semitism ( a strange stance to hold with Stanley Jewish and Simmons having studied to be a rabbi) Ace and Paul seem ok. And the English did the music that much better. I can’t hate it (even while being appalled at Simmons’ attitudes towards the homeless. Australian rock radio station 2MMM gave Kiss a lifetime ban from radio play after his comments, calling him a 'dickhead' in the press release.) Maybe it’s the 8 year old in me who did see them on tv and think that’s cool. Maybe it’s my love of theatrical rock. Maybe it’s better than I give it credit for. I suppose this is the album to listen to. But as usual a greatest hits would work better. 3 stars.
Trying to convert the success of their allegedly 'live' album into sustained popularity, Kiss's management roped in Bob ezrin to produce, hot off his string of Alice Cooper albums. Ezrin realised that Kiss aspired to be rock and roll heroes, but should be aiming to be rock and roll SUPERHEROES. He whipped them into musical shape with a view to presenting them as superheroes, reflected in the cover art. And it worked. Many rock critics, Dimery included, are obsessed with notions of credibility. This often manifests as a disdain for any artform that is _too_ popular. Carl Wilson breaks down this urge in detail in his wonderful book 'Let's Talk About Love: Why Other People Have Such Bad Taste'. I highly recommend his analysis, go read it. Needless to say, it tends to be white, male, middle-class critics claiming cultural capital by denigrating mass popularity. Gene Simmons bypassed this whole issue by explicitly rejecting the notion of credibility: "It's a delusional notion, credibility. ... You either succeed - in which case people are going to be willing to put their money down - or you don't." Or even more succinctly: "I would urge all bands that say they only care about credibility and don’t care about money to send Gene Simmons every dollar that they don’t want. I’d be happy to take it off them." Don't get me wrong -- Gene Simmons is a reprehensible human being in many ways, but he has a point about the intersecting role of artistic and commercial ambition. And I do note that he wasn't saying this kind of stuff until he was already rich as Croesus, and maybe he didn't always feel that way. But it is true that this is the first studio album where Kiss really let go of going for credibility (even as a hard rock band) or critical acclaim to reach for the brass ring. If Kiss Alive was a Hail Mary to save their career, with Destroyer they deliberately aimed for massive success. It is designed from the ground up for mass appeal. It's dangerous, but not too dangerous, sexy, but not too sexy, rebellious, but not too rebellious, and largely coded as fun and entertaining rather than actually subversive. Plenty of hard rock bands have done this over the years -- Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, AC/DC, and even Metallica -- but Kiss are pretty much the first. They sacrificed critical approval for the money and chicks (Christgau said of them "You know damn well that if they didn't have both eyes on maximum commerciality they'd call themselves Blow Job"). But this represents a non-trivial segment of the music industry. Is it less artistically worthwhile to make a record that millions of people enjoy? Sniffy rock nerds might say so (and I have to admit that I fit that description myself for a looooong time), but frankly, as Duke Ellington repeatedly said "if it sounds good, it is good". It might not be precisely to my taste, but let's not yuck anyone's yum. Like the Alice Cooper records that precede this, it's a big, cartoonish Bob Ezrin production; fun, technicolor, dramatic. Lots of bright colours, flashy moves, big riffs, dumb lyrics, and cinematic orchestration. This is good example of the 70s tendency towards big stage shows, with a clear agenda to entertain. This is a fun and funny record, that roars in with 10 kick-arse songs in 34 minutes, taking no prisoners, and blazing off into the sunset, leaving nothing but the smell of gunpowder and greasepaint, fake blood, and a ringing in your ears. It's a hoot and a half, and deserves to be on this list, but not an album I need to own.
Not for me 1/5
Stupid-ass band. Nothing music.
So cheese you can almost taste it, but it's good.
Not as bad as I expected, so we love that.
Kicks your ass off the bat with DRC and then Beth hits you in the feelings kidneys
3.25
Butt rock. Strutter is a banger but it's not on this one.
I think I came to Kiss too late in my life. Throughout my youth, I always heard about Kiss: the drama, the hype all of it, and the commercialism and monetization, and then the music somewhere in between. For me, the band Kiss is the Philly cheesesteak of rock ‘n’ roll: soft when it needs to be; meaty when it needs to be; but completely covered in manufactured CheeseWiz all the time. There’s some OK songs on here such as Detroit Rock City and King of the Nighttime World. Most of this album is like God of Thunder: humorously bad. It’s like Steel Panther but at least they are trying to be bad! Overall Kiss just seems… well… inauthentic.
Random thoughts: * I would have LOVED Kiss if I was 15 in the mid-70s. I have no doubt about it. I'd like to think I would have been ride or die Zepp but I know this to be true deep in my heart. * This album surprised me and I liked it way more through out than I thought. * I was surprised to have 3 songs that I recognized on this album and I like all of them: Detroit Rock City, Shout It Out Loud, and Beth. * Mad respect for pop culture critic, Chuck Klosterman, for being an unabashed Kiss fan. I kind of now see what his obsession is. I'm not ready to join him because I'm not 15, but I get it better than I did before.
Oh this is not good
3.5, good classic rock
Lame
I remember I had a phase a while back where I couldn't believe that Kiss were so popular despite all of their music being so terribly boring. So I went and listened to their back catalog and... found nothing. This album is emblematic of it. It's trying to fake being a hard rock band but with zero song writing talent. The songs are so humdrum and boring. I accept that the bands theatrics and stage show were innovative and significance, but judging on music alone it's so boring. The songs are repetitive and there's so little to them, it's really a chore to get through the entire thing. Compare this with Alice Cooper, where they had the stage theatrics but the first several albums also have incredible music. So you can really have both, and Kiss don't have the music to back up their image.
God Of Thunder
Probably the biggest surprise so far. Never liked Kiss but this album was a good one.
I was surprised to get a decent amount of enjoyment out of this - maybe because there was no sign of "Rock & Roll All Nite" KISS has never felt like anything special to me, and without the makeup and eccentric outfits they likely would have just been yet another 80s glam rock band. But the songs on this one pack a nice punch, notably the opener "Detroit Rock City". I also wasn't expecting anything like "Beth" - I didn't realize KISS was capable of pulling off a rock ballad. That all being said.. I'm glad grunge came along in the 90s to wipe the slate clean from all the glam/hair rock of the 80s.
Better than I thought it was gonna be.
Wasn't sure what to expect, but it wasn't as bad as I'd thought it would be. My favourite track was "God of Thunder", and I thought that "Great Expectations" was terrible.
So innocent and not dangerous these guys were.
I’ve always thought KISS’ shtick was a little weird, albeit fun I guess?
I managed to listen to the whole album, thankfully it's a short one
An alright album, I liked Beth the most.
Opzich best een lekker generiek rock album!! Detroit Rock City, Sweet Pain en Shout it Out Loud zijn energieke nummers met een vrij simpele tekst, maar het werkt.
Good ol' classic butt-rock about money and girls and cars and sex and rawk'n'rawl... but frankly, with the energy a bunch of those songs have, I won't complain at all about it!
2.5, maybe a 3, because it is passable music. It's just so cheesy and they are trying so hard. "Beth" is actually kind of nice.
It's impossible for me to take Kiss seriously. I really liked them in high school. I skipped a soccer practice to see them and Aerosmith (and saliva weirdly enough) which came with a stiff 30 lap penalty the next day. Totally worth it. This sounds like music a high schooler would like. As a discerning adult, it's just cheese. That this got conservative Christian's panties in such a bunch is hilarious. There are multiple ballads in this beast that undermine any heavy persona they are trying to portray. Detroit Rock City still rips though. Bonus star for that song. But then Great Expectations rips that star away. So many of these tracks sound like Styx songs. Flaming Youth and Sweet Pain would fit right in on The Grand Illusion
Really can’t overstate how much I would’ve loved KISS if I’d been a kid in the seventies. Thin Lizzy and others did this type of thing much better, but I do appreciate the commitment to the bit.
I’m sure this was the coolest shit ever to a rebellious teen in the 70s, but now these anthems to hard plowing just seem very dorky.
So it turns out before KISS was on shirts at Hot Topic and before Gene Simmons made a legendary ass of himself, they actually made music. I’ll be damned. Standard 70s cock rock but there were many other bands doing it better. Gimme Golden Earring, Bad Company, Foreigner, or even Aerosmith. Less makeup and less marketing budget in those though. The biggest problem for me is that KISS just isn’t any fun, despite their image. It’s almost like they’re taking themselves seriously, and I certainly can’t in 2025.
I thought this would be the kind of thing I’d like, but it turns out actually no
Good solid rock album
I honestly don't understand the appeal of this band. Some riffs are decent but the rhythmic section is so hollow it's distracting. There's almost nothing to save here.
Kiss is more of a "greatest hits" kind of band and this album only has one of them in it.
That one is a classic to me as I was listening to it when I was a teenager, I saw the band live and had so much fun. Then, I became an adult with a certain taste in music and well... I realize Kiss was more of a brand than a band. Good product, I would say!
Probably one of KISS's better albums, but still pretty bleh. Detroit Rock City is by far the best song on the album and it's not even close. Full of meh.
Pretty vanilla and pretty boring
Rating: 3.5/10 Would be one star if not for Detroit Rock City. Whole thing sounds like a giant gimmick, riffs are generic and vocals suck.
This didn't age well
Simple riffs, simple lyrics, party noise. I can see why they were popular in the 70's when music choices were limited and they probably put on a fun show, but man this is basic.
This album was a bit all over the place. There were some decent songs and some bad songs. Nothing seemed particularly strong, but I'll give it a low 3 because KISS broke ground with their imagery and showmanship, and because they were good mentors to Rush on the concert tours.
Pretty vanilla rock, actually. Made me appreciate other more talented bands from that era whose experimentation resulted in greatness (eg Floyd, Zeppelin, Queen).
More of a Bob Ezrin album than a KISS album, but still rather good. Even though I consider this one to be the weakest of their classic first six studio albums, there are a lot of classics here. The opening trio alone is enough for three stars, and when you hear Shout it Out Loud and Flaming Youth as well, you know you’re onto a a winner. The horrible chorus of Do You Love Me and Beth drags it down to a four
Some pleasant songs
a few catchy tunes and nice bass lines. but there’s something soulless about the whole thing.
i could shut my brain off and ignore how cynical and lacking in any kind of artistic sentiment kiss is if there was anything fun or enjoyable about the music, but as far as i can tell the music only exists to serve as an in-group signifier for America's most tragically boring simpletons (and to sell licensed merchandise of course)
The album art is classic and the songs reflect the times; disco was dying and heavy metal was transforming its own style.
Kiss is rock's version of Taylor Swift
My favourite guitarist’s favourite band. Enjoyable. Though it was only on in the background.
Cliche ridden clown rock. Like Spinal Tap but unfunny. Bullshit.
KISS had albums?
Kiss is de band die door zo stoer proberen te lijken altijd een beetje kneuzig op me overkomt. Maar; de muziek dan. Dit is echt pure Hairmetal. Je ruikt en proeft de haarlak bijna op het moment dat je dit album aanzet. Alles aan Kiss en aan dit album schreeuwt over de top voor mij. Ik vind het gewoon hilarisch dat hun image blijkbaar zo heftig en duister was. Er gingen verhalen rond van koeientongen enzo, en dan heb je de muziek. En dat is eigenlijk gewoon laffer dan welke hardrock band dan ook. Ik vind de over de top, jezus wat is dit eigenlijk foute nummers het beste. Ballads moeten ze echt niet doen(Waarom heeft Beth de meeste plays op dit album???) Want eigenlijk is de zang gewoon best wel slecht. Had ik dit echt moeten horen voor ik doodging? Mwah, waarschijnlijk staan ze hier vooral op omdat het KISS is en ze revolutionair zijn als live act. FAVO: Detroit Rock City, Shout it out loud
The over-the-top glam metal really really isn't my genre. This opinion continues after listening to this album. Detroit Rock City is fun but the rest of the album is a real chore with not much to note. 3.75/10 (1.875/5)
68/100. A record with a mix of different qualities of rock music. The obvious standout, by a long shot, is "Detroit Rock City."
This album sounds like the soundtrack to a movie named "Rock Band." Every song would go great with a montage. Kiss is an excellent parody band.
Kiss arrived in my life as second-hand mythology, their empire already built on riffs any respectable rock fan can hum half-conscious. By the time I circled back to Destroyer, I was hunting for the moment that supposedly changed everything. What I found was Bob Ezrin's orchestral gamble: a producer determined to elevate their raw energy into something theatrical and lush. "Detroit Rock City" is the payoff, a five-minute masterpiece where every element clicks into place. The car radio bleeding into feedback, the tension snapping into undeniable thrill. It's a song that justifies the entire experiment. And then the album settles into something slightly different. "Shout It Out Loud" pulses with genuine swagger, "Do You Love Me" lands with tenderness, and the deeper cuts like "Great Expectations" and "Flaming Youth" reveal a band comfortable in their own skin, unashamed of melody and earnestness. The real revelation is "Beth," the accidental masterpiece that saved them. A ballad so far removed from their DNA that Kiss tried to bury it on a B-side, only for a radio DJ to flip the record and turn it into their biggest hit. There's something quietly beautiful about that. A band finding sincerity by surrender, proving they could be tender without losing power. It stands as one of their finest moments precisely because it wasn't calculated to be. What Destroyer proves is that Kiss excel when they commit to an idea without overthinking it. "Detroit Rock City" and "Beth" are perfect because they're unpretentious, willing to be exactly what they are. The album as a whole is a strong, generous listen, not flawless, but genuine. KISS are often accused of favouring style over substance, but on Destroyer, these two aren't necessarily enemies.
just kinda sucks ass
still trying to understand why so many artists that I like cite Kiss as an influence
Hee hee hee hee = KISS are so silly. Some solid tracks here, but let's be honest, it's the theatre of it all that made them as huge as Simmons tongue. But, that said, music can be incredibly serious at times rather than just FUN and I am here for the fun.
Strutter is kiss’ best song by a country mile and no one can change my mind
If this didn't have Detroit rock city itd be a 2 Kiss sucks
Yeh it was alright, for the 80’s
1. detroit - 3 2. night - 1.5 3. thunder - 1 4. great - 1 5. youth - 1 6. pain - 1 7. loud - 2.5 8. beth - 1.5 9. love - 1 10. party - 0
Generally I avoid Kiss. But this album brought back some memories and hit just right.
Best when they were doing KISS songs and much less good when they were trying for range. 2.5
This is the most boring rock album I’ve ever heard and here on album 445 the new worst thing we’ve had. the 70s must have been so boring
i tried my best not to listen to this
The best KISS album is a greatest hits album but this one is still fun.
Irredeemable. Beth is a great song though
Seeing the movie “Detroit Rock City” at a young age may have primed me for this. Pretty good for 70s “shock rock”.
This is actually quite fun for a hair metal band— but none of the songs stick out to me as particularly great. Maybe I’ll relisten, but I’m unsure if I’ll give KISS the chance
Classic rock album. Good music for fixing cars.
First time listening to a KISS album. Good stuff. Standouts: Detroit Rock City, King Of The Night Time World, Sweet Pain, Shout It Out Loud, and Beth.
Good Glam Rock just tickles a part of my brain so right. I should really listen to some after this album.
Net na Metallica moest dit wel een beetje tegenvallen, maar de heren revancheerden zich na nog een keer luisteren. Nooit geweten wat ik van de gekke pakjes en make-up moest denken, maar de muziek is al met al nog best aardig voor seventies-glamrock. Jammer van de larmoyante poging tot een ballad, maar vooruit dan maar weer.
KISS. Enerzijds kijk ik er tegenop, want ik houd niet zo van theatraal. Anderzijds maakt dat theatrale me toch nieuwsgierig. De instelling of verwachting vooraf bepaalt mede het luistergenot. Dat heb ik al vaker geconstateerd. Maar om dat nu bij jezelf weg te nemen, dat kan natuurlijk niet zo goed. Dat merk ik ook nu weer. Door de verwachting valt me het theatrale best wel mee. Ondanks wat opsmuk tussendoor. Sommige nummers vallen zelfs zover weg, dat ik het album nog eens moet aanzetten om er iets over te kunnen schrijven. Hele delen zijn gewoon behoorlijk toegankelijk. Met lichte twijfel durf ik dit album zelfs in het potje 'vergeetbare drieën' te stoppen.
Ik blijf het ergens altijd jammer vinden als artiesten zich moeten verkleden om muziek te maken. Het is een act, een gimmick, teveel theater. Alsof het nodig is om ons, de luisteraars, af te leiden van het feit dat het verder doodgewone muzikanten zijn. Het gebeurt met name in de glamrock en heavy metal gek genoeg, of daar wordt het meer geaccepteerd dat dit soort fratsen er nu eenmaal bij horen. Afgezien van al die aanstellerij van KISS, maken ze best een potje lekkere ouderwetse hard rock. Uiteraard is het wat theatraal en zijn ze duidelijk op zoek naar een goed stadiongeluid. Daar past het dan wel goed bij, grote podia. Detroit Rock City en Shout it Out Loud zijn prima stadionbangers. Wat fijn is, is dat de gitaren soms moddervet zijn en daar hou ik van. Ook dubbele gitaren komen af en toe voorbij. Ik moest af en toe denken aan Lynyrd Skynnyrd zelfs (Detroit Rock City). De zang in de nummers van Paul Stanley is prima en past een stuk beter, dan de valse Gene Simmons. Die had weer andere kwaliteiten blijkbaar. Het jammere is dat ze naast hun gekke pakjes ook gekke geluidjes en stemmetjes er af en toe doorheen willen gooien. Als ze dan vervolgens een soort langzame ballad als "Great Expectations" ten gehore willen brengen of "Beth", komt dat totaal niet over. Maar dat komt doordat ze net daarvoor theatraal over de top zijn gegaan. Als geheel vind ik het een wat rommelig album. De liedjes zijn soms niet helemaal af, missen iets. De gekke geluiden, een rare ballad tussendoor. Het klopt niet. Ik hou het denk ik voor dit album bij een 3. Maar ik heb wel het gevoel dat KISS bij mij best een 4 of 5 sterren album af zou kunnen leveren, als alle ingredienten in de juiste dosis aanwezig waren geweest.
Kiss is one of the most overrated bands on the planet. Nothing these guys do is in anyway exceptional, they just trick stupid old people into thinking that they're good because of the way they present themselves with all the makeup and flashy costumes. This band is the definition of style over substance. As for the album itself... This is nothing more than another generic classic rock album. Its not the worst thing I've ever heard but its certainly no masterpiece. Favorite track: None lol 1.5/5
I like what KISS represents more than I like listening to KISS
Very competent rock'n'roll. 3.4
I have never been a big Kiss fan…there is nothing wrong with this album, but I always thought that they sounded a bit generic, for lack of a better term. I won’t need to hear this one again.
Beau would be proud. I know, kiss is basically a fake band that was made to sell merchandise, but they're actually pretty good.
Okay. Some of it is cheesy and fun
Some good tracks but pretty same-y.
meh
"Detroit Rock City" is a bop, basic rock but a bop, the rest is bargain basement drivel.
There's a couple of songs that make a case for why Kiss is as revered as they seem to be ("Detroit Rock City" and "Shout It Out Loud" are Kiss at their best) but the rest of the album sounds quaint; relics of a different era. Even "God of Thunder" sounds cheesy. Kiss will be remembered for their face paint and iconography, not for their music. I don't think Kiss will ever be for me.
Catchy, but I want nutterburger
Pretty basic rock music. 3/5
Plain old rock & roll, nothing special but not bad either
Great memories of my teens!!!
First time listening to a Kiss Album. Looking back on the 70ish Rock bands, is kind of funny because they were considered so hard and cutting edge at the time, but in retrospect they are fairly tame. But they did lay the ground work for a lot of other musicians so I won't take that from them. There fast songs were great, guitars, lyrcis, drums, I enjoyed them all. The ballads however...RIDICULOUS!!!! Beth I hear you are lonely and that I am a bad boyfriend, but I am just going to spend a few hours with my boys. This one was even funnier when it was followed by a song asking the woman if she really loved him ROFL. Great Expectations...so hilarious! This was so 70's-80's rock band, believing that women just would cream for them because they could play the guitar and drums and somehow singing it slowly to me was romantic! Stick to the fast rock songs and I could give it a four, but those ballads were just sooo bad and did not hold up. I want to believe they were so bad it was a joke, but I really don't think so.
It's okay but this album doesn't have any of their best songs. I think KISS is a greatest hits band for me. I really only need Heaven's On Fire, Lick it Up, Strutter, and I Want to Rock and Roll All Night (and Party Everyday). Those are really the best KISS songs. There are no KISS "deep tracks".
I went into this album expecting to be thoroughly unimpressed, but it’s time to eat crow. It’s got that big dick dumb rock n roll energy, yes, but some of the songs are really good. The album cover is cool too.
Detroit Rock City is a banger. Apparently I'm so clueless about Kiss though that I didn't even realize they sang Beth, lol. The juxtaposition between the "hardcore" God of Thunder and the more ballady Great Expectations right after it cracked me up. These guys don't take themselves too seriously, right? They are over the top with their "edgy" image but their music just feels like poppy rock and roll. Anyway, it was fine.
Meh
Overall a pretty good album. 4/5
Crap
Despite the band members being in their 20s, Kiss has always sounded like a midlife crisis to me. There's just something kind of embarrassing about it all. Maybe it's the whole rock n roll cunnilingus clowns shtick. Maybe it's the constant merchandising of absolutely anything, including the Kiss Coffin. Or maybe it's just the feeling that they seem to be taking Alice Cooper and Ozzy Osborne and ultra commercializing it all. It's kind of gold plated rock n roll. Sure, it sounds like the real thing but there's not much substance underneath it. Still, I was curious about this album. Love them or hate them, Kiss certainly made at least one extremely well known rock song. Sadly, it's not on this album (apart from a small snippet during the annoyingly long intro). And the rest is just so uninteresting. They enjoy parties, rock n roll, and money. Got it. The one attempt to write an emotionally potent song is about how women can't love them for them. All they care about is the stardom and the money and they don't know the real men. This is undercut by the real of the album where they offer no suggestion that they have any more depth than that. And by the song that came immediately before it where they make fun of a woman who actually did want a genuine relationship with one of them. Jesus christ... I appreciate that the so-called Kiss Army has a lot of devotees. But I just can't.
Well now. That was undeniably quite good fun. I wouldn't choose to listen to it almost ever, but if I was to have a stupid house party I think I'd put that on and everyone would enjoy it. I'm unlikely to do that, but I guess now the option is there.
Kiss were one of the first rock bands I ever got into, but I've not heard this album before. Even though it contains several standards. Detroit Rock City, the Gene Simmons theme, God of Thunder and the Peter Chriss ballad Beth have all been long term live songs. Over all its a good album, and certainly one i would buy if I see it. 4
Completely forgettable
Joke metal dressed as clowns. Truly awful. There is nothing positive I can say about it , apart from it ended.
I didn’t find much to sink my teeth into with this album. Couple familiar hits on the album, and then a bunch of songs that I’d find skip worthy any other time. Some songs suffer from trying too hard. Others suffer from sounding like another generic KISS song. Pretty meh.
норм. обычный дедовский рок
I'm pretty sure I've never heard a complete KISS album before, and I had no intentions on changing that. I have to say that I enjoyed this much, much more than I expected though. I'll never be a huge fan, but this has aged much better than feared.
4.5 🤘🤘
These lyrics are unimaginably lame - I get that disaffected youth would respond to rebellious music that carves out a niche to find a sense of belonging, but lyrics like "it's so bad, going to school," is pandering garbage and God of Thunder is the blueprint for some David St. Hubbins lyricism. The Music is rock by the numbers, but no matter the costume and make-up extravaganzas and inane lyrics about how much they rock - this never comes close to any real sense of the sense of danger and menace they're aiming for.
Looking though my tastes in music, I often startle myself in remembering that the first album I've owned in a physical format was KISS' Destroyer. I don't recall much else going on in my ten year old mind other than going nuts because I saw it and I wanted it (and being newly acquainted with the concept of rock and roll). Then I gave it a listen and didn't like it and came to regret owning it when my tastes got more refined and eclectic. When I revisited it all these years later, I was surprised to hear a really good album lurking in the shadows. Favorites: Detroit Rock City, God of Thunder, Great Expectations, Sweet Pain, Shout it Out Loud, Do You Love Me?
Fine enough. Dramatic at points. Reasonably enjoyable. KISS are fine but not much to say about this.
Bubblegum metal.
Not bad rock album 6/10
Has some fun songs, but not everything is great. Very mediocre
Nice album!
Sure, not bad. Also not great
O álbum Destroyer do KISS soa excessivamente repetitivo e cansativo. Faltou criatividade nas composições, e, após ouvir cerca de um terço das músicas, é possível já ter uma boa ideia do que virá a seguir. O restante do álbum se torna uma simples reciclagem de ideias, sem grandes variações ou inovações. Fica a impressão de que as faixas se arrastam sem realmente oferecer algo novo ou emocionante.
General impression: fun. Better than I expected Detailed review: I dunno, I’ve never been into KISS. It’s the face paint, I suppose. The sort of elaborate, trademarked image. Turns me off. But of course they’re better musicians than that impression gives them credit for. This album had a lot of great variety and I appreciated that. Some prog, some ballads, some straightforward rockers. Good stuff. Deeper thoughts (context): nah Score: 3 Number of albums left to review: 941 Number of albums from the list I’d consider “must-listens”: 36 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 24 (including this one)
Look, is it the “best” rock n roll music? No. Is it lyrically great? No. Is it a hell if a good time? Most definitely. When an album achieves exactly what it sets out to do it’s at least good, and Destroyer is a good time beginning to end.
KISS Poor
Rock by the numbers. Vermakelijk, maar geen hoogvlieger.
Quick and fun enough, but there isn't too much going on to make me go back to it.
How did they ever get the idea to make THIS their aesthetic while making music my parents would listen to?
Very cheesy and not as fun as it should be for its level of cheese. I feel like this kind of hard rock needs a guy with a super high voice and without it the music sounds a bit off.
Pretty hilarious at times but also not that good.
There's something funny and wholesome about this. Gene Simmons is by far the better singer. I didn't like Beth
Not a fan , a couple of songs briefly grabbed my attention but this mix of punk pop rock is not for me
Exactly what I think a kiss album sounds like
Expected to hate this but it wasnt as bad as I expected. A lot better than most other cliche bands like this anyway. Not really my cuppa tea, and the lyrics are fucking dreadful, but overall its good for what it is. 2.5
Tried hard to judge this album impartially because I think KISS' whole schtick is a bit silly. The album is very 80s hair metal by numbers. First song was the best, liked that one well enough. The songs are either about rocking hard or have a creepy perv aura hanging over them, also standard. It's sort of fine, I'm sure you'd have a nice enough time seeing them live. Would never intentionally listen to them though so can't really rate it.
I'm knocking it up a point because of Beth, which is genuinely a decent song. Otherwise nothing goes anywhere, and the riffs and solos are lame throughout.
There aren't many bands I have an active dislike to, but along with guns n roses, KISS are one of them. Had a mate that was into them when we were kids, I'm sure I remember watching something with them in but cannot remember what ... The opening track is ok, the rest is completely vapid and uninteresting, you can see why they decided on the face paint gimmick. No way this classifies as something you should hear before you die
This is so corny
It turns out these guys were nowhere near as good a as 12 year old me thought they were.
Loved most of the songs on this album. A few skips, hence the 4.
Nunca me gustó KISS
You know I was expecting that I wouldn't be super in to this, but was hoping it would at least be fun to listen to. Really disappointed to find it's not even fun to listen to as dumb straightforward rock. These songs just suck. There is a reason Detroit Rock City is the only song that has had any lasting power. Ouff, this is so bad and not worth listening to.
I’m good guess I can die now that I’ve heard this shit
It sure is KISS. The one with the oddly festive, not-even-veiled innuendo! Fun, just not outstanding to me
It’s embarrassing to even think that there was a time in my life when I thought Kiss was good. And I know we all did when we were 12, but it’s worse than you can imagine. Because holyyyyyy shittttt is this album bad!!!! Every song you think, “No, but that’s a good song,” just…isn’t. The riff on “Detroit Rock City” is good, but drove into the ground by its own insistent repetition, and the overdubs of radio chatter and motorcycles not only make it cartoonish, but hard to listen to as a stand-alone track. Meanwhile, “Shout It Out Loud” isn’t the bombast my brain thought, but instead as sterile as a 65 year old Dad mimicking air guitar at his retirement party. For the sappier amongst us, I thought “Beth” would at least be a breath of fresh air, but while the song is well-composed, Criss’ vocals are maybe some of the worst vocals I’ve ever heard on any record ever. And those singles are Destroyer’s HIGHLIGHTS!!!!! Everything else here is WORSE THAN THAT!!!! It’s pretty much different flavors of string cheese for toddlers and/or sheltered middle schoolers who imagine rebellion as a cliché episode of Skins (US). I have never laughed out loud at a song as hard as I did when “Great Expectations” came on. And like, the fact that Kiss clearly suck as studio musicians aside, the material itself is lame as hell. The riffs, the lyrics, the hooks – they all straight up suck. “Do You Love Me” is as close to okay as any track here besides “Detroit Rock City,” and it’s still an atrocity. I think if you end a record with muted crowd noise to imitate a riotous fanbase, you probably don’t have that fan base. And ironically, I revisited Alive!, just to make sure, and while I wouldn’t say it’s a good album – still sterile songwriting, still mediocre playing, still fake illusions of adoration, still lame topics and comic book visions of sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll – it at least could fool you into believing Kiss are worth remembering, and is also way more deserving of being included on this list. Destroyer, on the other hand, should make people run for the hills. Unless you grew up with Kiss in the ’70s and never stopped listening, this record is a rough time, featuring some of the worst songwriting, studio performances, and fucking musical ideas I’ve ever heard in my life. Grow up. Give up on Kiss.
I liked the album overall. Lotta variety, great instrumentals, great vocals. That said, can't figure out why I don't love KISS. Maybe it's the dichotomy offered by the way they dress vs. the songs they make? But it just seems fitting despite that. 'Beth' was my fave here.
Whatever you think about Kiss, Detroit Rock City is a banger. Great Expectations is immature. Beth is a classic. The rest of the album isn't bad, but it's not incredible.
Too bland for my liking - middle America soft rock without any classic tunes - now realise why I did mot get into them back in the day - not unlistenable but not inspiring
3.4 2x catchup 11/5/2024
I thought the theme on Pathetique would have helped this but I think it hurt it lmao
There are not a lot of bands out there who are dumber and louder than Kiss. They are truly music for the lowest common denominator. And damn if they don’t rock. Best song: God of Thunder
KISS were always a revered band for me growing up. I didn't grow up during their heyday or anything, but my dad & other family/friends around his age always referred to them in admiration and thus I was just always indirectly exposed to them. Hard to ignore their stage getup too. Some recognizable songs in this album (I've always liked "God of Thunder"). The rest is pretty experimental for KISS standards. "Beth" is the standout in this regard, being an uncharacteristically tender ballad coming from KISS (and sung/written by the drummer to boot). The rest is honestly a bit forgettable when stacked up against other glam metal from that era. I'm sure there are better album representatives for showcasing KISS, but they always struck me as more of a "greatest hits" group if that makes any sense.
Just awful. No wonder they needed the makeup and costume gimmicks to try to attract listeners.
Fun but nothing I’ll come back to.
Without all the makeup and costumes KISS has got . . . not a lot.
KISS are a greatest hits band to me, I don't need their studio albums in my life
just a waste of time. not a fan. like many others say...it's just bland rock and roll. If I saw them on a Wednesday at a biker bar, it would be about the level of music I would expect.
Classic.
The hits are fun but even at 30-ish minutes, this overstays its welcome.
This sucked
Skemmtilegt rokk sem eldist bara furðu vel. Beth er svo auðvitað algjör vangalagsnegla.
Hell is Great Expectations on repeat
I once worked in a warehouse next to a huge KISS fan. He had a full Gene Simmons costume he'd wear every Halloween (and probably around the house on weekends). So I'm sure I've heard their whole studio and live album discography at least twice. Unfortunately most of these songs are now inextricably tied to one of the most depressing jobs I've ever had and one of the most annoying coworkers I've ever worked next to. So while there are a few good songs on here, I can never get past the negative side that this band conjures up. Three is the best I can do. Not sure it would deserve much more otherwise as there are a good amount of duds.
Ok
3.75
Love KISS, absolutely legendary band on stage but absolutely not an album band. Destroyer has the same problem as most of their albums, half of it is great but the other half is pretty dire.
Glam rock at its most stereotypical. Not my cup of tea.
Unlike a fine wine, this has not aged well. I really tried to listen without bias, but the Gene Simmons songs are clearly the worst on the album. The three hit singles are the best songs on the album, so well done A & R people, but that can't save this mediocre album.
Is this the most overrated band of all time? Boring riffs. Boring drums. They had the rely on gimmicks to keep people interested, but even that falls short for me. Better than experimental psychedelic rock music at least.
As someone who doesn't listen to Kiss or similar bands, I feel kinda deceived. From the album name and cover I expected something more along the lines of Seether. But I liked it a bit
Kiss is such a weird idea to me and it’s crazy that at the time they were considered heavy I suppose or just I don’t know a lot of it’s very anti-climactic and Peter Chris drums are in my opinion pretty weak to match the guitars, but I don’t know
Bobbins. Everything about KISS and especially this hokum rock.
this was just alright to me. i expected it to be more of a wacky fun rockin' time, but the album cover made promises that the album itself didn't deliver.
boy, kiss really is a singles band, huh? even my favorite song of theirs (detroit rock city, though some days it's strutter) isn't enough to save this from being fairly mediocre and boring overall. favorites: detroit rock city, god of thunder, shout it out loud
A good study album. Bangers for it mostly not being in English
This album reminded me of a high school friend of mine who was a devoted Kiss fan. I never really got the deeply devoted "Kiss Army" thing. What I will acknowledge is they were one of the hardest working bands and put on a good show. Thisnis an ambitious album for them and "Beth" was a huge hit, but the song "Great Expectations" is truly one of the worst, pretentious sings I have ever heard. This song alone should have excluded this album from the list. A better album choice would have been "Kiss Alive".
Detroit Rock City is legendary but the rest of the album was a bit meh.
Some great tracks on this one. Not my all-time favorite but solid.
Very fun album.
Wow, there were some bad songs on this album. The lyrics couldn't be more pedantic and juvenile. (It will take me a while to recover from "Great Expectations") But just enough decent guitar to earn a second star. KISS is another "greatest hits only" band in my book.
Couple of decent songs, but the rest were cheesy and/or obnoxious. Was teetering on 2-stars until “Beth” which was so cringeworthy had to drop to 1-star.
It's a whole lot of boring rock. I really liked 'Beth,' though. I get that Kiss is really for the show and the spectacle. This album exemplifies that. They are not musicians, but performers.
I was late to the party with Kiss but I do love them they are just rock with lyrics you don't have to think about. Detroit Rock City is my favourite Kiss track, God Of Thunder, Shout It Out Loud, Great Expectations & Beth are all great songs.
First listen. Listened to the original, 2012 resurrected versions and the 2021 45th Anniversary super deluxe versions. Think I prefer one of the newer versions, but all of them were great. Three favourites without a doubt are “Detroit Rock City”, “Shout It Out Loud” and “Beth”. Kiss was on of my dad’s favourite band and he showed me and my brother their music when we were young, so they hold a special place from my childhood. Is this a good album? Maybe not, but it brings out nostalgia for me so 🤷
Q: What’s the difference between Gene Simmons and Donald Trump? A: Gene Simmons has a better make-up artist.
The aesthetic of KISS always tricked me into thinking they were a much heavier band then they really are. Frankly, this is my admission to not really liking glam rock/glam metal, its just not as good as rock or metal. Honestly, I wish KISS' music was as hard as their looks would have you assume. Unfortunately, this wasn't for me, and I don't see myself coming back to any tracks any time soon.
kinda feel like this band holds a lot of sentimental/nostalgic value for people who grew up in the 70s, who had their FIRST exposure to hard rock with this band simply because of how popular they were and how unlike anything else at the time their stage presence was chances are, if your favorite band's members grew up during the time, they're GONNA mention KISS as one of their early influences but nowadays if you're just getting into hard rock or heavy metal you can easily get bands that rock harder than this for you personally, and their past popularity or stage presence wouldn't matter much because you weren't there at the time and for you Gene Simmons is an old douche bag more than anything or maybe it's just this record because KISS definitely have a ton of other great songs to their name, they're just not all on this album what i want to say is this record was probably much much more of an essential in the past than it is now oh well it's a pretty short listen either way i definitely hear a lot of things here that The Replacements would be massively influenced by though
Good Halloween costume, bad music.